Food Mixture Ohmic Treatment for Pasteurization and Taste Preservation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current food products that require pasteurization or sterilization do not meet consumer demands for natural taste and texture, and existing methods involve lengthy high-temperature treatments that can degrade nutritional content.
Innovation Solution
A method and plant using ohmic treatment to pasteurize or sterilize food products by applying an electric current, combining a cooking step at moderate temperatures with an ohmic treatment of a mixture of liquid and solid components to preserve taste and nutritional content.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional high-temperature pasteurization is used, then effective sterilization is achieved, but taste and texture quality deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental parameter of heating method from conventional thermal conduction to ohmic heating (electrical resistance heating). This allows direct volumetric heating of the food product, achieving pasteurization with shorter exposure time and better control over temperature distribution, thereby preserving taste and texture while ensuring sterilization effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical thermal conduction system with an electrical field system for heating. By applying an electrical current directly to the food product, ohmic heating occurs throughout the volume simultaneously, eliminating the need for prolonged external heating and thus preserving sensory qualities while achieving reliable pasteurization
2Reliability
If prolonged high-temperature treatment is applied, then sterilization is ensured, but nutritional content is degraded
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the heating parameter from prolonged high-temperature thermal treatment to controlled ohmic heating with optimized time-temperature profile. The direct electrical heating allows rapid temperature rise and precise control, achieving sterilization with minimal exposure time that preserves nutritional compounds
Solution Approach 2:
The patent substitutes conventional thermal processing with ohmic heating technology, where electrical energy is converted to heat directly within the food matrix. This volumetric heating method achieves sterilization more efficiently with reduced total processing time, thereby minimizing nutritional degradation
3Reliability
If conventional pasteurization methods are used, then food safety is achieved, but processing time is excessive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces conventional thermal conduction-based pasteurization with ohmic heating using electrical fields. This allows simultaneous heating throughout the product volume, dramatically reducing the time required to achieve pasteurization temperatures and maintaining food safety with much shorter processing cycles
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the heating mechanism parameter from external thermal conduction to internal ohmic heating. This fundamental parameter change enables rapid and uniform temperature distribution throughout the product, achieving food-safe pasteurization in significantly reduced time compared to traditional methods
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method effectively pasteurizes or sterilizes food products while maintaining texture, taste, and nutritional quality, avoiding prolonged high-temperature exposure that degrades these qualities.
Implementation Method 1
A method and plant using ohmic treatment to pasteurize or sterilize food products by applying an electric current
Data Source
AI summary
A method for preparing a substantially pasteurized and/or sterilized food product; the method, which can be used to produce pasta sauces or soups, comprises: a cooking step, during which a base of the food product is obtained by thermally treating a first component at a temperature exceeding 30° C.; a mixing step, during which said base and a second, substantially solid component are mixed together so as to obtain a mixture; and an ohmic treatment step, during which said mixture is subjected to an ohmic treatment so as to obtain the substantially pasteurized and/or sterilized food product.